


Stained Bandages

by Sanjuno



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: Abusive!Spinter, Drawn out darkfic isn't my jam, Evil!Spinter, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, I intended that pun so hard, M/M, So this is short and sweet and to the point, Splinter is the character death by the way, post-mortem decapitation, pun intended
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 05:31:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13474674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanjuno/pseuds/Sanjuno
Summary: The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. When something threatens his brothers, Hamato Leonardo will stop at nothing to remove the threat.Nothing.(A realistic look on what would happen if Splinter was actually an abusive parent to the turtles.)





	Stained Bandages

**Author's Note:**

> This is much darker than my usual offered fare, so be warned. The emotions are fairly graphic, but the assault and violence are mostly implied and talked around rather than being described directly.
> 
> This is _not_ a kink fic, this is an exploration on how someone raised with the explicit understanding that killing is a _valid problem-solving method_ would react to an abuse scenario.

=/=

**(If you must make a man your enemy, pray he is an evil man, because an evil man will stop to gloat. A good man will simply kill you without drawing things out.)**

Hamato Leonardo felt cold. So very cold. It was as if his soul had frozen over. Black ice over dark water and monsters lurking in rippling shadow. Savage monsters with dagger-sharp teeth and wickedly hooked claws. The shadows lay soft as snow, hiding blades of rage and hate poised to catch and tear. The shadows were a ninja’s greatest ally, and Leonardo had been born to be a ninja. He carried the shadows in his heart, and saw his devotion returned in a thousand little ways. Easily overlooked favours that were ever present.

Many things were easy to overlook when they gave credulity to horrible truths. Leonardo faced far more terrifying things than reality, harsh as it may be.

That was why Leonardo did not refute Raphael’s claims, even as Michelangelo stammered horrified denials and Donatello squeaked out pleading questions. That was why Leonardo remained quiet and thoughtful even as Raphael broke down into harsh sobs. That was why Leonardo pushed all three of his little brothers into Donatello’s lab for first aid without saying anything about running. That was why Leonardo sat watch all that night over his brother’s uneasy dreams. That was why when Splinter called them to task for their exhaustion and battered state the next morning…

Leonardo took the blame.

/…/

“ _Yame._ ” The rat’s voice cracked like a whip, stopping each of the four young turtles in their tracks with simultaneous flinches. “Unacceptable. Your forms are sloppy, and your follow-through lacklustre. Leonardo, explain.”

“I’m afraid we were out later than we expected last night, sensei.” Steel-blue eyes went narrow and sharp as Leonardo glanced to the side. Terror tightened Raphael’s throat as his elder brother’s glare cut through him. Oh crap. Leonardo was not going to… Leonardo would not… if he found out that Raphael had _told_ … “Raphael decided to throw another tantrum, and I decided to see if wearing him out would sweeten his temper.”

“Hey!” Thank god for habit, because the familiar surge of irritated anger masked Raphael’s urge to run. The green eyed turtle snarled at his leader, hurt and scared and _angry_ , always so angry. _Why_ would Leonardo turn on Raphael after what his prodding at fresh wounds had forced the younger turtle to admit to just last night? “Oh, just typical! Captain Wannabe can’t admit he screwed up!”

“Enough.” Splinter’s eyes were hard as he looked at his students. Donatello and Michelangelo uneasy as always in the face of another argument and still reeling from what they had discovered last night. Raphael angry and defensive and _hurt_ in a way none of they could really understand. Leonardo trying to appear calm, only the tension in his shoulders giving away his irritation. “Leonardo, we will discuss this in my quarters.”

“But, sensei!” Leonardo’s mouth twisted. “It’s not _my_ fault that Raph…”

“Raphael is not the _leader_ , Leonardo. Now _go to my quarters_.” Splinted drew himself up, walking stick slamming into the dojo floor. Leonardo’s gaze dropped to the mats, mouth firmly shut. A moment later Leonardo moved, not once raising his eyes as he bowed and then left the dojo. An approving grunt left the rat as he watched the blue-clad turtle retreat. Splinter hardly spared a glance at the remaining three teenagers. “You will all run through kata for two hours, at half speed. Leonardo will join you again once our _discussion_ is finished.”

Numb, Raphael lined up with Michelangelo and Donatello. Splinter watched them complete the first half of a kata before nodding and leaving the dojo himself. Fuck. _Fuck_ , Raphael never should have said anything. Maybe if he had kept his trap shut it would have blown over. It had only ever happened the once. Maybe it was a fluke thing like when the Rat King used his psychic control. Maybe… but now Leonardo was going to _tell_. Splinter’s _perfect_ student and favourite son was going to tell Splinter what Raphael had said.

Raphael stumbled, falling to his knees as lights flashed in front of his eyes.

“-eathe! Raph!” Donatello was shaking Raphael’s shoulders, whispering frantically as he tried to calm the panic attack. “You have to breathe, Raph! C’mon, in and out. Okay? Breathe!”

Raphael gasped and choked, eyes burning. “He’s gonna tell. Fuck. _Fuck!_ Leo’s gonna fuckin’…”

Donatello and Michelangelo exchanged frantic looks of horror as Raphael shuddered and hid his face in his hands. Donatello pulled Raphael closer, wrapping protective arms around his terrified brother and just… held on.

Michelangelo looked wrecked, and very much in need of a hug of his own, but he hovered by the dojo door despite that. Michelangelo stood watch over his older brothers, aqua eyes locked on the door of Splinter’s bedchambers through a crack in the shoji screen.

That was why Michelangelo was the first to move, once the screaming started. Michelangelo was moving, crashing through the dojo shoji while Donatello and Raphael scrambled for their weapons. Michelangelo was across the open space of the lair before his brothers reached the dojo threshold. Donatello and Raphael were bolting across the gap between the dojo and Splinter’s quarters even as Michelangelo was grabbing the door handle.

The door rattled in its frame but did not open.

“It’s locked!” Michelangelo was hauled back and Raphael lashed out with a kick. The lock broke with a crunch, the heavy door hitting the inside wall with a booming crash.

The screaming cut of with a wet gurgle, and Leonardo let Splinter’s corpse fall.

“I warned you what would happen.” Leonardo did not seem to realize that his brothers were in the room. Blood covered the eldest brothers face, dripped down his neck, was smeared in wide streaks over his hands and plastron. “You should have known better. Than to touch my brother.”

“Holy _shit_. Leo?” Raphael edged into the room, skirting the growing pool of red staining the old carpets. Steel blue eyes blinked slowly, once, Leonardo’s head lifting to face Raphael as he approached. With a sigh, Leonardo crumpled. Raphael lunged forward just in time to catch Leonardo before he face-planted on Splinter’s mangled body. “Donnie! Help!”

=/=

**(Actions, and the consequences thereof, and how to apologize for aggressive actions taken while operating under false information.)**

A happy squeal echoed over the dark rooftops of night-time New York City. “Karai-chan! I found you!”

“Er.” Tigerclaw put his hand on his weapon but hesitated before drawing it. The smallest of Hamato Yoshi’s turtles had wrapped his arms around Karai’s waist and spun the girl in circles of a fast little jig. “… Do you require assistance?”

“… No.” Karai kept her face still, but a lifetime of training had given her excellent reflexes. Which was usually a good thing, her body reacting to threats even when her mind was still trying to catch up. Except for this time, when she ended up _dancing_ instead of punching someone in the face. Karai spun away and backed up, sinking into a ready stance with a hand on her tanto. “Hello, Michelangelo. What brings you out here? Alone. Without backup. Does Leonardo know you snuck out?”

“Don’t be silly, Karai-chan! Of _course_ Leo knows we’re here! He sent us!” Michelangelo giggled in a way that made Tigerclaw uneasy. There was something _wrong_ about this situation. With a madcap bounce, the smallest turtle waved at the next roof. “Heeeeey, Donnie! Bring Karai-chan’s ‘sorry-for-making-you-mad’ present over here!”

A lean, shell-backed shadow vaulted the dark gap between buildings, landing silently next to his manically grinning brother. Blank white eyes gave nothing away as Donatello removed a wrapped parcel from the duffle he was rarely seen without.

“For you, Karai-san.” Donatello bowed and placed the gift on the rooftop by Karai’s feet. The smirk on the bo-fighter wore seemed out-of-place as he faded back to stand by his shorter brother. “With the Hamato Clan’s compliments.”

Michelangelo’s arm whipped out and down, violet-black smoke billowing up and obscuring the rooftop from sight. Karai dashed forward, leaping up onto the edge of the roof and peering into the shadows. “Shimatta! They got away.”

“They avoided the Foot Bots around our perimeter.” Tigerclaw stepped up behind Karai with a snarl of frustration. “What do you think this was about?”

“I don’t know. Following them is useless, they know the city too well… but I know of at least _one_ way to figure their plan out.” Karai spun around, jumping off the ledge to stalk across the rooftop to where the package sat. Planting her feet, she glared down at the parcel wrapped in Hamato-mon printed silk with an origami flower decorating the tied off ribbon. The curls of ink strokes peeked over the folds in the paper, and Karai’s eyes narrowed in thought. ‘Compliments of the Hamato Clan’ her _foot_. Why did that wrapping look so familiar? She had seen it somewhere before. “What are you up to now, Leonardo?”

“Wait.” Tigerclaw lay a hand on Karai’s shoulder, ignoring the way the girl stiffened. “We should take this to the Master. I don’t believe it wise to open this blindly. The Hamato Clan is our enemy.”

“Exactly.” Karai yanked her arm free. “I won’t bring danger to my father! We open this here.”

“… Very well.” Tigerclaw inclined his head, recognizing that he would not be able to change the girl’s mind. “Please then, allow me to ascertain that there are no traps before we proceed.”

“Of course, Tigerclaw. Although I doubt you’ll find anything so overt.” Karai stepped back, watching over the large mutant’s shoulder as he carefully unwrapped the gift. “The turtles like to think of themselves as chivalrous, so it’s far more likely that the trap, if there is one, is… subtle. I’m anticipating some form of emotional manipulation.”

“Hm.” Tigerclaw turned back to his work, not asking why Karai refused to open the package in Shredder’s presence if she was so certain there would be no physical trap. Instead he filed it away to speak with his Master about later. Unable to delay things any longer, Tigerclaw carefully detached the origami flower and handed it to Karai. The large mutant remained wary despite Karai’s assurance as he unwrapped the brocaded silk to reveal a lacquered wooden box still heavily scented with the sting of varnish and… was that tar? Certainly the turtles exhibited the most _creative_ approach to recycling Tigerclaw had ever seen (evidenced by box made of wood scraps fit together to look like a turtle shell sitting before him) but what use would tar serve in a so-called peace-gift?

Tigerclaw opened the box.

/…/

At first Karai did not know what she was looking at.

Then the scent reached her nose. The copper tang of blood. The heavy note of raw meat left out. The sickly-sweet creep of rot just beginning to set in.

“ _Chikuso!_ ” Tigerclaw recoiled, shoving the box unceremoniously away and hauling Karai back with one out flung paw.

Like a 3D puzzle photo, Karai could see the pieces slot together as her eyes refocused on the picture in a new way. The silk wrapping fell open, becoming the kimono her father’s sworn enemy had worn the few times she had seen the rat clearly. The contents of the box stared back at her, equally surprised and horrified expression in place. New York’s ever-present ambient light gleamed off the Foot Clan mon that decorated the kunai Karai had leant Leonardo during her first encounter with the Kraang. The blade was still buried to the hilt in the brown fur between death-glazed eyes. The white muzzle was stained with dark rust.

Karai stared, clinging to the arm Tigerclaw held protectively in front of her. The young kunoichi stared and then lifted a shaking hand to point. “Foot bots! Pick up that box! We’re returning to headquarters. Now!”

Unvoiced went Karai’s desire to see her father. Tigerclaw could understand the urge. The large mutant had seen many things over the course of his mercenary career. A cleanly severed head in a leak-proofed box was practically _civilized_ in comparison to some of those things.

… Until he remembered that it was Hamato Yoshi’s fifteen year old students (sons) who had dropped the box off with them. Cheerfully. After apologizing.

Tigerclaw repacked the box and handed the whole thing over to the nearest bot. Karai was staring at the origami flower in her hand like it was about to transform into a viper. The stiff paper that would unfold into Leonardo’s note seemed much more threatening, now that they had been given a glimpse of what the turtles were capable of. The girl looked up at her tiger escort and nodded.

The Shredder would decide what to do about the turtles from here.

=/=

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, the implication is that Splinter had been assaulting Leo for awhile, and then moved on to Raph. _Once_. Which was then immediately revealed to his brothers because Raph can't contain his emotions at _all_. And then Leo kills Spinter because... of course he would? You can beat the snot out of Leo until the magnetic poles flip and he won't give two shits, but so much as _scuff_ one of his brothers and Leo will tear your face off and wear your ribcage as a hat.
> 
> This is a oneshot that I wrote in response to a few darkfic I ran across. Please don't ever ask me to continue this. Just be happy that the turtles have all run off to South America to live in a tropical rainforest and torment poachers for the rest of their lives.


End file.
